1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric power retail management apparatus and an electric power retail management method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, electric power companies have exclusively supplied electric power to electric power consumers. However, electric power retailers are enabled to enter such an electric power supply market following revision of the Electricity Business Act. The electric power retailers needs to adjust a power supply amount so that supply and demand are balanced when electric power for retail that is purchased from an electric power generating company is supplied to each of a plurality of electric power consumers who has made a contract. However, unexpected demand variation may occur in some cases.
Accordingly, an electric power retail system has been developed for adjusting demand and supply to cope with unexpected demand variation on the day in question and securing electric power required for supply to an electric power consumer (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-123578).
However, with the conventional system described above, the electric power consumer can designate only a required amount of electric power, and needs corresponding to a preference of the electric power consumer cannot be reflected.